


Play Of The Game

by xhangemhighx



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Bending (Avatar), Fluff and Angst, Iroh (Avatar) is a Good Uncle, M/M, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Ozai (Avatar) is an Asshole, POV Sokka (Avatar), Pining, Smart Sokka (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, sokka is too gay to function, zukka - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-17
Updated: 2020-07-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:08:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24693547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xhangemhighx/pseuds/xhangemhighx
Summary: Zuko, Katara and Toph are pro-bending champions in Republic City. Sokka tags along for fun. He never planned to fall for Zuko, but he just couldn't stop staring.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 117





	1. THE BEGINNING

**Author's Note:**

> The probending stuff might not be entirely accurate, but I tried. I'll watch more LOK, I swear. I have the first book on Blu-ray now.
> 
> I tried to think of something pro-bending/game related for the title, but all I could think of is the Overwatch saying. Will probably change it later.

Sokka watched as his sister gracefully dodged the earthbender's attacks, always light on her feet. She was quick and small, fierce and hard to knock down. She always got her revenge on whoever beat her, whether in the match or outside. Not that it mattered to Sokka. Katara always did her own thing. No, what really mattered was the... A loud yell knocked Sokka out of his thoughts.

"Go Katara!"

Aang stood beside Sokka, cheering for his girlfriend. As much he loved to play games, he rarely participated in pro-bending. If one of them was too injured or sick to play (which rarely happened), Aang filled in, being the avatar and all. It wasn't that fair, but no one cared too much. Aang wasn't a very good player, but he tried his best. No one noticed that the boy always filling in was the same person and could bend all elements. Why would some random benders know the avatar?

The team's name were The Spirits. A little boring, but you understood the meaning when you saw the group in their first match of each season. They each dressed up as a figure - Katara was the Painted Lady, Zuko was the Blue Spirit, and Toph was the Blind Bandit. Each their own character, but the public only saw it as cosplay. They never knew the benders behind those masks were the same as the ones in the news.

Tonight was a regular match, so they weren't decked out in fancy regalia. Sokka was kinda sad about it - he liked seeing Zuko in his tight black outfit. Not that he'd ever admit it. He definitely wasn't attracted to Zuko. Never stared at his (surprisingly) muscled body or fantasized about running his fingers through Zuko's long hair. Nope. Never.

"And the Spirits win round 1 in a landslide!" The announcer called out.

Sokka cheered. Beside him, Aang leaned over the railing, screaming to Katara. The next few rounds continued like the first. The Spirits won easily, knocking their opponents off the ground in the third round, securing a knockout and winning the match. Sokka saw this all the time. The Spirits always won. He never got tired of seeing them win of course.

The team came into their changing room. Katara hugged Aang and then proceeded to kiss him, Sokka turned away to avoid it. He tried not to watch Zuko take off his uniform, but he had a weak will. Who could ignore the charms of the runaway Fire Nation prince?

"You did good out there." Sokka commented, making an effort to not look Zuko in the eye. "Genius move knocking them into each while they focused on Katara."

"Thanks," Zuko grunted, struggling to pull off his too small boots. They didn't exactly have the right size for him. His feet were too small for the men's but a little too big for the kids and Sokka found it endlessly hilarious to see him pull off the kids' boots.

"You guys wanna get something to eat?" Sokka asked the group, ignoring Toph already eating a bag of chips.

"No." Katara replied. "Aang and I have to go home. I've got a class tomorrow and Aang has important avatar meetings."

Katara finished taking off her uniform and slipped into a large blue coat. 

"We'll see you Wednesday." She grabbed Aang by the arm and left.

Zuko was still there, in the process of changing out his sweaty undershirt into a plain red top.

Sokka nudged Zuko in the ribs with his elbow. "Come on, I know you're hungry."

"Yeah," Zuko sighed. "I'll go with you."

Sokka grinned and threw Zuko's helmet into its locker with unnecessary force.

Zuko glared at him. "Don't push your luck."

* * *

Sokka and Zuko walked into Flameo, the best Fire Nation restaurant in Republic City (in Zuko's opinion at least). Sokka liked Fire Nation food, but it was nowhere near as good as the food back home in the South Pole. He didn't mind eating Fire Nation food with Zuko. Zuko couldn't even eat food from home, so Sokka pitied him in that aspect. At least it was Fire Nation food, even if it wasn't the same as how they made it in the Fire Nation. Zuko always raved about how good the Fire Flakes were, but the ones at Flameo were bland and tasteless.

Zuko had never officially been banished. In his own terms, he'd "ran away". He knew that Sokka knew the truth. Zuko's father didn't want him home. He was never as talented a bender as Azula. He wouldn't rule the Fire Nation with an iron grip and control his citizens as slaves. Ozai knew that. He'd cast out his weak son in favor of his psychopathic daughter. Sokka tried not to bring it up. Really ruined the friendly conversation.

Sokka ate quickly, as usual. Zuko, with his royalty trained manners, always took his time and didn't practically inhale food like Sokka. 

* * *

Sokka and Zuko walked along the coast. Despite the factories and city grime, it was nice. It wasn't as beautiful as the view back home, but it was a different kind of beauty. 

"So, the tournament's coming up." Sokka stated.

"Yep." Zuko replied. "Second tournament we've even been in. Maybe we'll win this time."

"I think you will." Sokka confided. "As long as the Badgermoles don't pull out their dirty tricks like last year."

That got a small smile out of Zuko. "It was worth it to see Katara's face when she flew backwards."

Sokka laughed. "I remember that! She got really mad about it and got called for unnecessary roughness in the next round."

"Can always trust Katara to get revenge." Zuko muttered. "You're coming to see us, right? Work won't get in the way?"

"Of course!" Sokka replied. "I'd never miss a match. Katara would kill me."

Sokka didn't add _and I don't want to miss seeing you sweaty and extra attractive._

The pair reached the end of the coast, entering the beginning of the city.

"See you tomorrow?" Zuko questioned. "Uncle's tea shop is having trivia night."

"Yeah." Sokka answered, grinning. "I'll be there."


	2. Time Of Our Lives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Toph is blind. No, I don't know how she sees everything, especially the attacks of the other team since the ground isn't metal or earth I don't think. For now, my answer is that she's just that good.
> 
> Sorry if this sucks, I wasn't in the best mood while writing this.

Sokka was glad when Wednesday night finally came. He'd had a stressful day at work as one of the new water tribe diplomats. Watching his friends' probending matches always seemed to cheer him up. He used to be jealous of their bending, but he didn't really care anymore. He had his own talents.

For one, he was pretty smart. Some *cough* Zuko *cough* would go as far as to him a genius. He knew a lot about random things and was good at creating new inventions. Aang was usually the victim of these inventions, as Katara, Zuko, and Toph had learned out how wrong they could go. It wasn't his fault the flying machine exploded, Aang put too much stress on it!

Sokka loved trivia nights at The Jasmine Dragon for many reasons. One, enjoyed challenging himself. Two, he got free tea from winning. And three, he got to see Zuko even though Zuko was usually working. It was funny to see his reaction to unruly customers and even better when he slyly gave Sokka some extra mints after he discovered Sokka slowly stealing them. That was true friendship right there.

He usually waited until Zuko's shift was over and they walked through the city together, enjoying all the sights. Sometimes they went to Sokka's apartment and sat on the balcony, looking up at the stars. Sokka loved the stars - they reminded him of home in the South Pole. He'd shown Zuko the stars he knew and made up stupid names for the ones he didn't. It was now a tradition of theirs - staring at the stars and being idiots together.

* * *

The stadium was more crowded than usual on Wednesday. It was the last game before the tournament and people were coming to place bets. They were hoping the Spirits wouldn't disappoint like last year. Sokka tried not to think of last year. They'd gotten so far only to be beaten by cheaters who bribed the ref. Katara had insisted on playing it fair. Then they lost the first round and Katara had abandoned that mentality. Toph had happily earthbent the cheaters, but the Spirits ended up getting disqualified. It wasn't fair.

The Spirits were playing well tonight. They played well every night, but this was better than normal. Possibly because Sokka had given them all overly caffeinated drinks and pizza before the match. Toph had drank three bottles of Mountain Dew and Katara had consumed an unholy amount of coffee. Zuko had just eaten pizza, but he played fantastically. Then again, when did he not? His firebending was powerful, even if he didn't believe in himself most of the time.

Sokka watched as Zuko flung firebolt after firebolt at the opposing team, knocking the other firebender back a level when he swerved to avoid being hit. Zuko dodged the earbender's disks, flinging himself to the right and nearly knocking against the rope on the side. He quickly recovered, sending retaliating fireballs back to the earthbender. The earthbender was knocked off the back and fell into the water below, now out for the round.

The round ended soon after, with the Spirits having advanced twice. The Spirits won the next two rounds, despite Katara being thrown off in last one. 

"The Spirits win once again!" The announcer called in his overly enthusiastic voice.

The Spirits shook hands with the opposing team and walked back towards the balcony where Sokka and Aang stood. The team changed out of their armor and into more casual clothes, as usual. Sokka leaned on the wall near Zuko, pointedly ignoring his shirtlessness. Sokka's gaze shifted idly to the open door. He saw a flash of red as someone ran. Sokka, a little slow on the uptake, ran for the door. By the time he reached it, the figure in red had disappeared.


	3. The Path That Leads To You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My cat is sitting on my arm while I'm trying to write again.

The first match of the tournament was tonight. With all the work he still had to do, it didn't look like Sokka was going to make it. However, he'd promised Zuko that he'd be there. Sokka wasn't one to break a promise, especially one to Zuko. That's how he ended up ignoring the trade negotiations and created a lot more trouble for himself. It was totally worth it.

* * *

Sokka sat next to Aang on the balcony, nervously tapping his fingers on his leg. The team stood in front of them, readying themselves to go out into the arena. They were dressed in the tournament outfits along with the required headbands and bracelets to signify their respective elements. The outfits weren't exactly regulation, but the Spirits were too much of a fan favorite for the refs to do anything about it.

"Wish us luck twinkle toes.: Toph insisted.

"Good luck!" Aang said, way too enthusiastically.

Toph punched Sokka in the arm, smiling hard. "Can't wait to wreck the Lizardfrogs again!"

Sokka fist-bumped her in return. "I can't wait to see the looks on their faces!"

Toph punched him the shoulder, hard.

"Sorry," Sokka apologized. "I forgot."

"Coming Toph?" Katara called from the edge of the balcony. She and Zuko stood there, waiting for her. Toph rolled her eyes. Sokka never figured out how she learned to do that. 

Toph joined the team at the edge of the balcony. The announced called them out and the Spirits walked onto the field, performing their intro dance that Sokka had choreographed himself. Only Toph appreciated it. Zuko didn't like dancing or flashy moves. Katara didn't like anything Sokka made, but that was just the annoying sibling teasing.

The Lizardfrogs entered the field, looking as annoying as last year. All of them were full grown men, tall and muscular. They reminded Sokka of King Bumi, who'd he seen when been travelling the nations with Aang so many years ago, before he'd met Zuko and Toph. Of course, none of the guys were old crazy men who happened to be leaders of Omashu. 

The match began, and honestly, Sokka wasn't paying much attention. He kept turning around, glancing from Zuko to the door behind him. If the person in red came back, he'd be ready. He tried to put it off as his nerves, but it was something more. The red reminded him of the Fire Nation, which in turn reminded him of Zuko, and Sokka had noticed Zuko wasn't acting normal today. Sure, he was there and participating just like any other night, but his heart wasn't in it. He hadn't smiled when Sokka had patted him on the back and wished him good luck. He hadn't laughed at Sokka's cactus juice joke. The sparkle in his eye was gone and left with a boring, dull tone.

Sokka knew something was bugging him. Zuko was usually quiet and didn't share much when it came to personal matters, but this wasn't normal. Sokka had to do something about it.

* * *

The Spirits had ended up winning and Sokka still hadn't seen the figure in red. He was a little disappointed, but also relieved. Maybe it was just a fan wanting to see the team? How'd the guy even get past security?

Katara was laughing as Aang rattled on about her amazing waterbending. Toph was in the corner, eating another bag of chips and listening to a crude message on her phone. Zuko was still slowly putting his things away. He carefully put his outfit in his small red backpack, covered in pins. Sokka had gotten him most of those and had haphazardly stuck them on. Zuko had complained, but never removed them. Sokka thought he secretly liked them.

"Walk with me?" Sokka asked as Katara and Aang walked out the door, arms looped around each other.

Zuko pulled his gloves off and stuck them with his uniform. "Sorry, I'm kinda tired. Tomorrow?"

"Zuko." Sokka said firmly.

Zuko looked at Sokka, idly running his fingers over the grooves in his Blue Spirit mask. He was slouched over and Sokka could see the dark circles under his eyes.

"Something's bothering you." Sokka stated. "I just wanna talk. You know you can trust me."

"Fine," Zuko groaned. "But it's your fault if I fall asleep and faceplant into the sidewalk."

* * *

Zuko and Sokka walked through the city, under lowly lit streetlamps and the shining stars. Not many were out at this hour and the few who were hurried home.

"So," Sokka began. "Do you want to tell me about it?"

He was expecting Zuko to be honest, but not to tell him everything. Zuko still kept things to himself, even if he did trust Sokka more than the others.

"I got a letter from my father." Zuko admitted. "I don't know how he found me. He wants me home."

That surprised Sokka. He knew Zuko's father was an awful person and the thought of him always brought Sokka into a little bit of a rage. Zuko rarely mentioned him, but Sokka was sure his father had other intentions that wanting Zuko to come home. Surely Zuko wouldn't go back to the Fire Nation? Sokka never knew much about his life there, but from the limited things Zuko had told him, it hadn't been very good. 

"Are you going?" Sokka asked, a little nervously.

Zuko shook his head. "Republic City's my home now. You, Katara, Toph, Aang - you guys are my family now."

Sokka smiled. He'd never heard something quite so sappy come from Zuko's mouth. He knew Zuko didn't really want to talk about his father any further, so he changed the subject.

"Nice to know." Sokka replied, relieved. _Fuck, why did he say that? That's not comforting whatsoever._ "Anyways, you're not working tomorrow, are you?"

Sokka knew he wasn't. He had Zuko's schedule memorized. Not creepy at all.

"Nope," Zuko replied. "What's on your mind?"

"There's the festival tomorrow and I was wondering if you'd like to go with me?" Sokka pleaded. 

"Yeah," Zuko agreed. "That'd be nice."

"Great!" Sokka chirped. "I'll meet you at your apartment at 10?"

Zuko nodded. "Sounds good."

Sokka walked Zuko to his apartment, stopping as they reached his front door.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Sokka reminded.

Zuko reached out an hugged Sokka, something he rarely did. Zuko wasn't much of a touchy person.

"See you tomorrow."


	4. You Are My Best "I'll Never Know"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Extra long and full of pining.
> 
> Chapter title from Fourth of July by Fall Out Boy

Sokka loved the culture festival. He came every year to eat the delicious food, listen to the music, and most importantly, see the fireworks. He saw them every year and it never failed to amaze him. For five years, he'd watched the fiery explosions light up the sky. Last year, he'd come wih Katara and Aang. They had already been dating at the time, so Sokka was, unfortunately, the third wheel. After dealing with too many of their lovey dovey comments, Sokka had left to go bother Zuko in the Jasmine Dragon. After Zuko's shift, the pair had climbed onto the roof and watched the fireworks together. This year, Sokka would have Zuko all day.

* * *

Sokka stood outside Zuko's apartment. He held a fire lily in his hands, one of Zuko's favorite plants. Zuko had tried to grow them once, but they never lasted more than a week. Sokka sometimes took the plants and gave them to Aang, so they'd hopefully like a little longer. Zuko wasn't very good with keeping plants alive, but Sokka admired his determination.

Sokka was very excited to go to the festival with Zuko this year. Still, he couldn't help but worry. What if he was overdressed, what if Zuko didn't want the flower, what if Zuko didn't even want to come? Sokka heard a door open.

Zuko walked out of his apartment, waving a quick goodbye to his uncle, who he lived with. Sokka knew Zuko loved him uncle, it was really endearing. Uncle Iroh had taken him in after he fled the Fire Nation. Later on, he and Sokka had met.

Sokka no longer felt underdressed. Zuko wore a flowing red robe and his hair was slicked back and parted in the middle. He was dressed much better than Sokka, who was in his Water Tribe attire. Zuko's hair looked funny on him. Sokka liked it long, almost hanging over his eyes. It was adorable and made his heart throb. He couldn't exactly say that to Zuko.

Sokka reached out a hand to mess up Zuko's hair.

"Hey," Zuko grumbled, pushing Sokka away. "It took my uncle forever to do my hair."

"Looks better down." Sokka told him. He held out the fire lily to Zuko. "This made me think of you."

Zuko smiled from ear to ear. Sokka loved it when Zuko smiled. Helping Zuko recover from his past had been hard, but it was worth it. Sure, there were times that weren't very good. Zuko had nearly burnt him once during a particularly nasty breakdown. He was getting better now, and smiles were much more common. His laughter wasn't nearly as common, but Sokka tried to bring it out of him. Zuko usually laughed at his awful jokes.

Zuko took the fire lily from Sokka and put it behind his right ear, using his hair to keep it in place. "Thanks, I love it." 

"Come on," Sokka urged. "Let's go! There's a bending show in the square in a couple minutes."

Sokka grabbed Zuko by the arm, ignoring the prickling sensation he felt. Zuko's skin was warm, like usual. A firebender thing, Sokka had guessed. He dragged Zuko down the streets and into the square. A crowd had already gathered around a stage set up in the middle. Sokka pushed through the crowd, not noticing the dirty looks people gave him as he passed through. He stopped behind a few people near the front and now managed to see the stage. An air nomad was on stage, spinning on a ball of air and juggling various objects. Aang would love this, he absolutely adored seeing his culture away from the temples.

Airbending wasn't very common anymore. After the decimation of the Northern and Western Air Temples, the nomads kept to themselves. They didn't interact with anyone else, except the avatar, Roku. Roku had saved them from Sozin and stopped the genocide so many years ago. Almost twenty years earlier, Roku died and Aang was born as the next avatar. He didn't want to be the avatar at first and he'd ran away. He'd met Sokka and Katara when he was 12 when they'd saved him from nearly drowning in a storm. They'd been inseparable ever since.

Next up was the firebending display. A man walked on stage. His hair was closely cropped to his head and he wore tight robes. His golden eyes scanned the crowd.

"I need a volunteer!" He shouted. "One who can firebend!" 

Sokka jumped up in the air, pointing at Zuko, who still stood next to him. "Pick him!"

"Sokka!" Zuko hissed.

The man pointed at Zuko, then recoiled slightly. It probably had something to do with the large burn scar that covered half his face. Sokka had reacted like that too, but stopped after a while. Now, Sokka just thought it made him look badass and maybe even a little sexy? He'd never admit that.

"You with the scar! What's your name?"

Zuko frowned at the mention of his scar. Sokka suddenly wished he hadn't volunteered him.

"My name's Zuko." Zuko said hesitantly.

"Fantastic!" The man cheered. "Come up on stage."

Zuko pushed through the crowd to the side of the stage and walked up the steps. He stood at the edge of the stage, looking out at the audience. He met Sokka's eyes. Sokka gave him an enthusiastic thumbs up. Zuko seemed to gather his courage. He stepped forwards into the center of the platform.

The man whispered a few words to Zuko, who nodded and whispered back. They eventually broke apart and walked to opposite ends of the stage. Sokka rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. He was getting increasingly nervous. Sokka had never liked fire.

The man began launching fireballs at Zuko, who easily took control of them. He was an excellent firebender. Training from Iroh and pro-bending could do that to a person. Zuko began piling up the fireballs, forming some sort of long tube. As it grew in size and detail, Sokka realized what it was. A giant, flaming dragon. Sokka had rarely seen bending used to make something like this before and he doubted Zuko had ever done this. Bending was for fighting and meditating, but it could be used creatively too.

When the man stopped throwing fireballs, Zuko moved the dragon forward and through a series of flaming hoops in the air. The crowd oohed and aahed as it spun gracefully. The dragon soared through the air, guided by Zuko and the firebending demonstrator. The dragon began to pick up speed. It was high in the air now, past the height of nearby buildings. Then, it began its descent. The dragon spiraled to the ground, heading straight for Zuko. Despite his confidence in Zuko, Sokka was still terrified. He could get badly burned and it'd be entirely Sokka's fault. Why had he been so stupid?

The dragon got closer and closer, now a few feet away. Sokka could do nothing but stare, frozen in fear. The dragon was lunging towards Zuko's chest... It disappeared in a surge of flames. Sokka let out a sigh of relief.

"Ladies and gentlemen." The demonstrator called out. "Zuko!"

Zuko took a small bow before hurriedly shuffling offstage. He walked back to Sokka, avoiding the high fives offered around him. He gave Sokka a lot that Sokka interpreted as _please kill me_. Zuko didn't really like the attention. Sokka nodded understandably and grabbing Zuko's arm again. He guided them both away from the stage and towards a tasty looking food cart.

"Sorry," Sokka apologized. "I didn't mean to embarrass you. You did really well though."

"Thanks." Zuko replied, touching the flower by his ear. 

"You hungry?" Sokka asked. "I am."

Zuko shrugged. "I could eat."

They ended up eating Water Tribe food. Not Zuko's favorite, but Sokka loved it. Zuko was trying to eat the sea prunes without grimacing.

Sokka handed Zuko some seal jerky. "This is better."

Zuko took it and bit off a piece. "Not bad." She chewed it up and continued eating the rest of it. Sokka had finally found Water Tribe food that Zuko would eat. It wasn't a meal, but it was something.

The next thing the pair did was shopping. Sokka loved shopping. He couldn't afford many things, but having a member of Fire Nation royalty on your side was helpful, even if said royalty was unofficially banished. Sokka ended up with a new boomerang as a replacement for the one he'd lost during a fight in the Earth Kingdom with Aang. Sokka made throwing motions with his boomerang, nearly hitting Zuko serveral times. Zuko rolled his eyes but Sokka could see the small smile forming at the corners of his mouth.

The rest of the afternoon consisted of demonstrations, competitions, and much more food. Zuko ended up winning a swordfighting competition, but handed the money over to Sokka when he begged for more food.

Soon enough, the sky was growing dark. The fireworks would be starting soon. Sokka knew the best place to see them was on the crowded hill outside the city limits. He didn't think Zuko would like that many people. Instead, he settled on the Jasmine Dragon like last year.

The pair sat on a bench outside, sipping their drinks. Zuko had his usual jasmine tea and Sokka had some coffee. That didn't stop him from stealing a few sips of Zuko's tea with his extra straw and earned a few glares in return. Cute glares, since Zuko never looked menacing.

Sokka finished his coffee and threw the cup away. He looked at the watch on his wrist. About ten more minutes until fireworks.

Zuko handed the remainder of his tea to Sokka, who eagerly drank the rest. He chucked it in the trash, high fiving Zuko as it landed perfectly. He followed Zuko to the back of the building, where Zuko had put a ladder the day before. He'd nearly fallen last year and didn't want a repeat of that.

They climbed the ladder and pulled themselves onto the top of the building. They perched on the small flat space near the front. There was little room to move, so they sat almost on top of each other. Sokka's heart was beating so fast and loud that he was sure Zuko could hear it.

The fireworks began. Red, white, brown, and blue. The element symbols flashed through the sky. Water, earth, fire, and air. This was definitely an improvement from last year.

Sokka looked over at the boy sitting next to him. The fireworks lit up his face, showing his bright smile. Sokka grabbed Zuko's hand and for a second, Sokka thought he saw Zuko blush. The next set of fireworks went off and the pink was gone. It could have been a trick of the light.

"This is nice." Zuko told him, his voice barely audible over the fireworks. "Thank you for inviting me."

"I'm glad you came." Sokka replied. "It's no fun without you."

Sokka felt his side pressed up to Zuko's and their hands still loosely clasped together. His hair hung over his face, obscuring his left eye. He was still smiling and looking at the sky. Sokka wanted to kiss him. He'd imagined it millions of times before. He wondered how it would feel. He'd kissed people before - Yue and Suki. He'd hadn't felt like he had now. Zuko was different. Looking at him making Sokka's heart soar and it was impossible to be in the same room as him and be able to breathe. Ever heard the saying too gay to function?

He felt like he'd explode if he didn't kiss Zuko. He couldn't hide his feeling forever, could he? If Katara was here, she'd yell at him. She'd tell Sokka to man up and kiss him already. But Sokka didn't want to ruin what he had. He valued his friendship with Zuko. He saw him almost every day. If he kissed him and things went wrong...

Sokka fought the urge and looked back up at the fireworks. They lit up in patterns. A blue arrow, a fireball, a turtleduck. He hoped the fireworks would be over soon. He couldn't stand to be this close to Zuko any longer. He just wanted to go home and scream into his pillow.

The fireworks ended a few minutes later and Sokka darted down the ladder. As Zuko descended, the lily fell out of his hair. Sokka knelt down to pick it up. He moved to put it back on Zuko. He hoped Zuko wouldn't notice how bad his hands were trembling. He carefully put the flower behind Zuko's ear and took his hand away just as quickly.

He turned towards the street and began walking towards Zuko's apartment. As much as he wanted to go home, he didn't want to be rude and leave Zuko. He looked at the ground, but not before noticing Zuko's hand lingering on his ear where Sokka had touched him. Sokka sighed. He was reading into this too much. Zuko didn't want him and never would. 


	5. Winners, Losers

[Fireworks scene from last chapter in the sims](https://zuko-just-wants-his-honor.tumblr.com/post/622400510089150464/the-fireworks-scene-from-my-fic-on-ao3-play-of)

Tonight was the second match of the tournament. The Spirits vs the Wolfbats. In the present, Sokka sat in a small restaurant, across from Zuko. The tournament started in two hours and they'd went out to eat, like they usually did before important matches. It was usually the whole gang, but Katara and Aang wanted to go on a date and Toph had gone somewhere unknown with Sokka's ex, Suki. They were still friends, she'd probably text him about it later. 

Sokka loved watching tournaments, but tonight, he was more on edge. Probably because he hadn't finished his report on the Water Tribe trading routes yet. He'd pull an all nighter and everyone at work would notice the next day.

"You're playing the Wolfbats tonight, right?" Sokka asked between bites of food.

Zuko nodded. "Yep. We beat them last year, but it was close."

Sokka remembered the third match of last year's tournament. They'd fought the Wolfbats, a team rumored to be connected to the local gang. There was no solid evidence, but it was just accepted as a fact. And it's not like the stupid police system could solve the problem anyways. They were still being trained in the new technique of metal bending, invented by Toph. She was only 18, but was the most powerful earthbender Sokka had ever seen. Excluding Aang, the avatar doesn't count.

"You'll win." Sokka assured him. "You guys are a lot better than last year. And I made a bet with Suki that you'd win. I'm not giving her more money."

That got a small laugh out of Zuko. "You won't have to. I promise."

Sokka smiled. "On your honor?

Zuko rolled his eyes. "Yes, I swear on my honor. You'll spend that money on buying us food after the game."

"Toph will probably want to go to that expensive ice cream place again." Sokka commented. "It's worth the money."

Sokka caught movement at the corner of his eye. A group of four walked in. Sokka didn't recognize the first two people, but he did recognize the third. Nazoh, the firebender of the Wolfbats. He worked as a representative to the council with Sokka, but as a Fire Nation delegate. Sokka didn't know what they saw in him to consider him for the job - he was rude, snobbish, and downright cruel.

The last person to walk in was covered head to toe in a crimson cloak. As the group sat down in a booth near them, Sokka could see the eyes of the cloaked figure. Amber, the color of the the Fire Nation, the same as his friend sitting across from him. Sokka couldn't stop staring at the odd figure, but his attention was lost when Zuko cleared his throat. He looked back to see that Zuko had paid the check and was standing beside the table, waiting for him.

He got up and followed Zuko out of the restaurant, but noticed the fiery gaze from the stranger as he disappeared into the street.

* * *

Just as Zuko had promised, they'd won the game. Zuko had knocked all 3 opponents off the back, by himself. Sure, Katara and Toph had helped push them back, but Zuko was the one with all 3 final blows.

Sokka high fived him as the group walked back into their changing room.

"You did great." He added.

"I don't break my promises." Zuko assured. "So, about that ice cream?"

"It'll have to wait." Sokka groaned. "I have to write a ton of reports by tomorrow morning. I won't be sleeping."

Zuko nodded, understanding. "We can go out tomorrow night? Or the day after, since you'll be tired."

"Tomorrow night is fine." Sokka assured. "I'll get the rest of the gang and we'll meet you there at 6?"

"Sounds good." Zuko noted. "I'll see you then."

Sokka raised a hand as a wave to the group. "See you all tomorrow, it's time to scream at paperwork."

Sokka left the building and began walking the streets, towards his apartment. He knew it wasn't always safe at night, but he had his boomerang and "friend of the Avatar" status in case anytime went wrong. Usually, there was noise of public transportation, snores of the homeless, and drunks stumbling home late. There was none of that: just the quiet, empty night and the dim streetlights.

Sokka began to walk faster. Something was off. He almost pulled his phone out of his pocket to call Zuko, but decided not to bother him. He was fine, it was probably nothing. Maybe there was a big celebration going on somewhere else?

Sokka continued his quick pace, almost at his apartment. A few more blocks and he'd be on his couch, drinking disgusting coffee and working his butt off. Sokka turned when he heard a noise behind him, but he was too slow. He was already surrounded by people in black. Sokka reached for his boomerang. It wasn't meant for close range, but it'd do. He was quickly knocked down with several jabs to his back and joints. He felt wobbly, like his feet couldn't handle his weight. He fell to the ground, landing hard. His whole body screamed in pain. A figure on his right, a girl, he guessed from her physique, lunged for him and held his limbs to the ground. 

"You don't want to do this." He groaned, squirming and trying his best to escape.

"I do." The girl on top of him cackled.

Sokka met the amber eyes of his attacker. A syringe was plunged into his neck and Sokka felt the world around him getting darker. He fought to stay awake, but it was no use. He'd been beaten.


	6. All Is Lost

Sokka woke up on the floor. He took in his surroundings, wiping the sleep from his eyes. Everything around him was gray. Gray brick walls, cold gray floor, and shiny gray cell bars. The bars were slightly crooked and sharp on some parts, as if hastily made by a metalbender. Sokka's first thought was _where the hell am I?_

Sokka took a few calming breaths and decided to see what he could remember from the night before. First, he'd had lunch with Zuko. Next was the tournament. Then, he'd walked home. He'd been attacked a few blocks from his apartment. Everything went black and then he'd woken up here. But where exactly was here? His surroundings didn't give him any clues and the cell just faced another gray wall, so he couldn't tell what was outside. This was just fantastic.

What did these people want with him? The girl who'd knocked him out was Fire Nation, but he wasn't sure about the others. Why would the Fire Nation even go after him anyways? Sure, he was one of new the Water Tribe ambassadors to the city council, but he'd had nothing to do with the Fire Nation or their ambassadors. He didn't even talk to the Fire Nation ambassadors - Rai was annoying and had no sense of humor and Chako didn't talk to anyone unless it was strictly necessary. They were weird, but Sokka had never questioned it. Let other nations do their own thing, even if that was the nation who had tried to start a war 100 years ago.

Sokka sat in silence for a while, brainstorming plans to escape. Each plan was more extravagant that the previous one. Unfortunately, none of them would work. Not unless he was a metalbender or somehow captured someone who was.

Sokka got his hopes up when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Maybe they'd come into his cell and talk to him and then he could jump them and run? Nah, he'd probably fail. He sucked in a breath when a girl in a cloak stopped in front of his cell. The same cloaked figure he'd seen in the restaurant with Zuko. This time, the hood was down and he could see her entire face.

"I know who are, Sokka." She jeered. "Do you know who I am?"

Sokka had a suspicion. Dark hair, amber eyes, and most importantly, a golden crown. He shook his head.

"Don't you see the family resemblance?" She continued. "Or is his scar the only thing you see on his face?"

Oh no. Sokka was definitely right. And definitely wished he was wrong. This was Crown Princess Azula, daughter of Ozai and Ursa, sister of Zuko. From what Zuko had told him, she was crazy and evil. Not a good combination. Sokka desperately wished he wasn't in this situation.

"You're Azula." He stated.

Azula smirked. "I'm sure my brother has talked about me. But I'm not as bad as he thinks. I'm worse."

Sokka couldn't comprehend what was happening fast enough. 

"Why?" Sokka choked out.

"He won't come home." Azula answered. "With you gone, he will."

"He won't." Sokka argued. "He'll try to find me. All my friends will be looking for me. You don't want to mess with the Avatar."

"The Avatar?" Azula scoffed. "He's a political figurehead, not a fighter."

"You'd be surprised." Sokka rebuked, remembering what had happened when Appa had been stolen on their way to Ba Sing Se years ago.

"Trust me." Azula hissed. "They'll never find you."

Azula turned and walked away in the direction she came from. _What a dramatic, villainous exit_ , Sokka thought. _Truly worthy of Zuko's crazy family._

They'd find Sokka. He knew Katara would tear the world apart to find him and Aang would help. Zuko and Toph would too, of course. It didn't help that he was an ambassador to the city council and they'd notice his absence. Surely he'd be saved in a few days? If not, Sokka shuddered, he was dead.


End file.
